Anyone have any data on low ceiling heights

[Geoff Hatcher]

Hello,

Appraising an older property that is to be renovated. The second floor ceiling height is 6' 7", ANSI standards call for 7'. Per purchaser, the property was built this way, and the ceiling have not been lowered. Anyone ever run into this?

Thanks,

Geoffrey Hatcher, SRA
Columbus, Ohio

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Vintage Dwellings often do not "fit" Ansi standards for ceiling height, bedroom closets, "railroad" floorplans....etc.

Typical and Characteristic Design Elements in this market segment can enhance marketability and customarily do not represent F.O.I.

(one of my "specialities).

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

6'8" works IN MY MARKET

 

[Ross (CO)]

What is the Intended Use of your report ? What type of entity is the Intended User of your report ? It is possible......that this ceiling height issue, and ANSI, may not be of any significanse.

Otherwise, has this property been successfuly marketed and (re)sold in the past with the current ceiling height being accepted within that buyer's decision to purchase ? It seems that NOW you are getting information about this ceiling's history from the soon-to-be "purchaser". You have not stated yet the actual age for this property. Could this second level have once been an attic area with high clearnace and subsequently "finished" into more living area. If this space was to be childrens' bedrooms then......they were not likely to be banging their heads on any ceiling, right ?

There is that one ANSI point about <5' height of ceiling-to-floor distance NOT counting as fully acceptable sq.ftg. of that total floor area in home's GLA. Something else, if I recall correctly, about >50% of any level's ceiling height must be 7' clearance, or more. I have not read the "book" on that in quite a while.

 

[Geoff Hatcher]

The property was built as such with low ceiling trusses. The entire second floor is flat with low ceiling. I relayed the information to the purchaser as he had not been in the property and his contracter indicates it was built this way. The opinion of value is subject to completion of prosed improvements for resale. The age of the property is unknown, but it appears to be in excess of 100 years old. In it's market, the lower ceiling height is atypical and I would suspect the cost to cure would exceed any benefits which would make it incurable function obsolecense. It does have value, but there will be buyer resistance in the market due to the low ceiling height.

 

[Ariba]

6'8" works IN MY MARKET

How about 6' 7", does that still work? Otherwise, what kind of adjustment do you make for 1" in your market?

 

[Greg Bell]

HUD ATTIC CEILING HEIGHT GUIDELINES/LIVABLE AREA

(a) Every habitable room and bathroom shall have a minimum ceiling height of not less than 7 feet, 0 inches for a minimum of 50 percent of the room's floor area. The remaining area may have a ceiling with a minimum height of 5 feet, 0 inches. Minimum height under dropped ducts,
beams, etc. shall be 6 feet, 4 inches.(b) Hallways and foyers shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet, 6 inches.

 

[Webbed Feet]

Hello,

Appraising an older property that is to be renovated. The second floor ceiling height is 6' 7", ANSI standards call for 7'. Per purchaser, the property was built this way, and the ceiling have not been lowered. Anyone ever run into this?

Thanks,

Geoffrey Hatcher, SRA
Columbus, Ohio

Mr. Hatcher,

How in the heck would a purchaser know such a thing? The purchaser grew up in the house? I don't think we of the forum can be of a lot of help. Because you have failed to describe this second floor well at all, and you are not posting any photos.

Here is one I just had and the transaction was a sale. An under 800 SqFt main level house with an attic never meant to be turned into living space. This attic was about 8.5 feet wide, 23 feet long, vertical wall height 3.7 feet, peak height 6.17 feet, so one had about a three foot strip down the center under the peak where one did not have to duck in order to stand up. This is if one is about 5'8" in height, me being one... LOL! There was no permanent heat source. The flooring was unlevel plywood. A doorway part way down, creating two "rooms" was only about 4.5 feet high. I did not even want to begin thinking about what were "ceiling joists" now having been turned into load bearing flooring joists they probably were not designed for.

Needless to say, I would not count the attic in the GLA. Only the nimrod R.E. brokers involved had and also advertised an extra bedroom up in this "attic storage area" because that is all it was. I think the lender (my client) ended up using words like "misrepresentation" with the real estate brokers involved before this was all said and done.

Webbed.

 

[Charlie Williamson]

Ceiling Heights

ANSI Standards defines ceiling heights and so on for sq foot purposes.

 

[Joker]

As you can imagine, there are several dwellings in this neck of the woods with low ceiling heights. It is typical of the quality in the area and not a major deal. My grandmother loves her house for that very reason (lower heating costs) but some of us younger folk have to duck in the doorways.

By chance are the renovations going to change the ceilings?